RAINED OUT at Clay Concert.

Yesterday evening after some coaxing, I had convinced my son that we should pack up the dogs, a few lawn chairs, some cold drinks and of course bug spray and enjoy a FREE concert in the park. Clay Park offers FREE concerts all summer on Tuesday evenings and although it has always been an enjoyable time in the past, we never seem to make it to them. A few years ago, while Gavin was playing summer soccer at the YMCA (which is right next door to Clay Park) we would complete his games and stroll over to listen to the music. He really enjoyed himself, these past few years I struggle to get him out of the house. Finally he was willing and ready so we hit the road.
We were a motely crew I am sure. Two fold up chairs swung over my arm, bags as well, and Peanut dragging along sniffing everything in his path. Gavin tugging Riley along who will periodically stop in his tracks and either take a seat or lie down. All I wanted to do was establish a place on the grass to plop everything down, then plop myself down and enjoy some music. As were walking Peanut proceeds to poop. Stop everything retrieve a poop bag, clean it up (chairs still clanging on my back). Okay it happens better here then in my house. Moving on....Doesn't Riley decide to poop too. Right in front of a row of senior citizens enjoying the completely sunny clear weathered afternoon. Stop again find a bag and proceed to pick up POOP once again. His were a little harder to pick up. YUCK! Anyway we are back to walking towards our little claim on park reality and find ourselves a nice place directly in front of the stage. The band has already started and Hey I know that song, this should be an enjoyable concert...... I thought.  I spend about 5 minutes getting the chairs from their handy carry bags, grab camera for some pictures, adjust the dogs who have now tangled themselves around one another and the chairs, slide a H2O into the chair cup holder and sit down. Aha!!! Lets enjoy the evening. THEN SUDDENLY out of NOWHERE RAIN!!!!!! And it is still Freaken SUNNY out! To top it off it wasn't just sprinkles of rain it was a monsoon (is that spelled correctly?) It came in buckets! Please just pass I prayed...please. Gavin took off holding Riley and headed to a pavilion like so many other SMART people, I was left to contend to the bags, chairs and poor little Peanut who didn't like this rain one bit. I didn't even bother to re-bag the chairs I had just released to the grass. I flapped those things up under my arm swung my opened bag over my shoulder and walked as fast as I possibly could to the car. Never had there felt to be a more difficult struggle. Thank God Peanut was just as interested in moving towards the protection of a shelter as I was. By the time we made it to the car, (actually well before), I was SOAKED to the bone. I was literally as wet as if I had jumped into a pool! Water dripped from me as I threw chairs into the back end of the van and cursed as the sun popped back out just as quickly as it had disappeared. REALLY!!! So wet, there was no way I was about to try this again, so we headed home. My camera was wet as well and steamed up when I looked through the lens, but I took a few practice pictures to make sure it was still working and look at Peanut....poor wet drowned rat!

 This was after a quick dog shake!

 This was what my camera was seeing from inside my car. I was so worried that the thing was destroyed.
Well we tried, I came home and insisted that Mark take a look at his wet family. He had reported being ill and that was why he could not join us. (He must have known). Well maybe next week will be a better success.

This is what the sky and park looked like as we were leaving.....Sunny and beautiful!!!! So my luck!